Leeds' greed pushed Smith

ALAN SMITH'S desire to join Manchester United hardened when boyhood idols Leeds started to push him through the Elland Road exit door before their disastrous season had even come to a close.

Most Leeds fans are still seething that a man they regarded as one of their own turned his back on the West Yorkshire outfit for their hated rivals when he completed his controversial £7million cross-Pennine switch last May.

Even Alex Ferguson admitted he had grave doubts as to whether he could lure the 23-year-old to Old Trafford given the bitter rivalry between the two clubs.

Smith though is unrepentant, insisting he had no regrets about the move, which he made with the full backing of his Leeds-supporting parents.

And he claims the decision was made easier once he found out he was being shoved out in a desperate search for cash.

"I did everything I could for Leeds. But as the season drew to a close I saw a different side to the game.

"Prior to that I had just enjoyed playing for my local team - a team I cared about.

"Then it became obvious they needed to get some money in. Leeds had paid nothing for me because I came through the academy ranks, so they knew whatever fee they received would be pure profit.

"Once money came into it, from their point of view, it was difficult to accept."

Having stripped away all the emotion, the straight-talking Yorkshireman was left with a simple decision.

"Once I had decided to leave, I only wanted to join one club - and that was Manchester United," he said.

"I spoke to Rio Ferdinand about it but I think everyone appreciates that for me, coming from Leeds, the step was a bit different than it was for him.

"But if you are a certain type of character, you can make the step easily.

"I did everything I could for Leeds but my passion and commitment for Manchester United will be exactly the same."

It is that straightforward, clear thinking which appealed to Ferguson, who wasted no time making his move once he started to receive positive vibes from the Smith camp.

And rather than use the England international in the type of midfield role he occupied for Leeds at times, Ferguson has only one role in mind for the new recruit.

"I see Alan as an old-fashioned centre-forward," said Ferguson, "an aggressive front-running player. The fact he can play in other positions is coincidental as far as I am concerned.

"I truly believe he will be a tremendous player for us. He has five years experience in the Premiership and the Champions League and he is still only 23."

Ferguson has revealed that Nicky Butt will be part of the Manchester United squad that heads off to America for a three-match, 10-day tour tomorrow, even though his eventual departure for Newcastle appears inevitable.

With Butt apparently accepting his 12-year first-team career with the Red Devils was drawing to a close, it appeared only the continued presence of Gary Speed at St James' Park was preventing the England international from joining the north-east outfit.

Speed's impending move to Bolton appeared to have solved that, yet when quizzed about the make-up of his squad for the US trip, Ferguson stated Butt would be part of it.

"Nicky will be travelling with us tomorrow," said the Scot, raising the spectre of a similar farce that accompanied Juan Sebastian Veron on United's previous tour of the US 12 months ago when Ferguson rebuffed continued questions over the Argentine's future, only to immediately sell him to Chelsea once the squad returned home.

One possible explanation for Newcastle's delay in lodging a bid could be that manager Bobby Robson is not quite as keen on the 29-year-old as chief executive Freddie Shepherd but either way it seems certain that Butt will soon fly into the Magpies' nest.